Michael fitzpatrick



(No Model.)

- M. FITZPATRIGK.

SHUTTER FASTENER.

No. 403,259 Patented May 14, 1889.

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Z 6 .ziliiorney u. PETER Photo-Lithographer, Wahinglon. n4;

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL FITZPATRIOK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ANNIE M. FITZPATRIOK, OF SAME PLACE.

SHUTTER-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,259, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed November 2, 1888. Serial No. 289,845. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL FITZPATRIOK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shutters, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the outside of the shutter. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the inside of the shutter with the parts in a locked condition.

My invention relates particularly to the construction of iron shutters such as are commonly used on factories and other large buildings to protect them from fire and my invention consists in providing the sections of the shutter with suitable locking mechanism, which is automatically released and the shutter thrown open by a positive power, as the force of a stream of water from the hose of the firemen tripping a lever on the outside of the shutter, thereby automatically releasing the locking mechanism and enabling the firemen to direct the stream into the building, as I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now describe its construction and indicate the manner in which the same is carried out.

In the construction of many fire-proof buildings solid metallic shutters are used to prevent the flames or heat from an adjoining burning building or the sparks from a distant fire entering the structure and setting fire to its contents, and while these metallic shutters often prevent the building taking fire from the outside they also offer a serious obstruction to the firemen when the interior of the building having such shutters is on fire, because the firemen are delayed entering the building with the hose until these shutters can be broken open.

To overcome the defects last named, I pro vide such metallic shutters with a locking mechanism which is instantly and automatically released by the stream of water from the hose, whereby the shutter is opened and the firemen enabled to direct the stream of water into the burning building. The features I prefer to use to carry out these objects consist in securing between suitable guides, at, upon the inside of the section A A of the shutter suitable sliding bars, B B, which are designed to move in opposite directions and to have their outer ends engage suitable recesses or catches, b, in the upper and lower sills of the window-frame, as shown in Fig. 2.

Near the inner edge of the section A of the shutter a lever, O, is centrally pivoted, and its ends project to each side of the division-line of the shutter, while its extremities are seated on suitable recessed lugs, 61, secured to the sections of the shutter beyond the sliding bars B B, as shown in Fig. 2. The sliding bar B is adapted to rest upon the adjacent end of the lever 0 when the shutter is closed, and the other sliding bar, B, is pivotally secured to the lever C' near its opposite end, so that when said lever is moved upon its pivot c it draws the sliding bar 13 out of engagement with the recessed lower sill of the windowframe, and also permits the other sliding bar to drop from its connection with the upper sill of the frame, and thereby release the shutter, as I will hereinafter disclose.

The centrally-pivoted lever is provided with an outwardly-projecting bar, f, the outer end of which is turned upwardly, and is designed to engage a bar, g, which passes transversely across the window just inside of the shutter, as shown. To release the parts previously described, I secure to the outer end of the pivot e, which projects through the shutter to the outside, one end of a lever, D, the opposite or outer end-of which is formed or pro vided with a broad flange on plate h, and a pin, Z, which projects inwardly through a curved slot, 712, formed in the sectionA' of the shutter, and guides the lever in its movement.

To one of the inner sides of the windowframe is secured one end of a stout spring, E, the opposite or free end of which bears with considerable force against the shutter when the latter is closed and the locking mechanism secured.

From this description it will be seen that in the event of the building being on fire and ingress through the windows being necessary the firemen direct the stream of water from the hose against the flange of the lever D on the outside of the shutter. The force of the water throws the lever upward, and said lever being secured to the pivot e of the inner lever, C, the latter is thereby turned to release the sliding bars B and B from their engagement with the window-frame, and also to release the hook-shaped bar f from its contact with the bar g. The locking devices being now released, the spring E exerts its power and throws the section A of the shutter ontward, and, as this section carries the central 1 pivoted lever C, it is obvious the projecting end of said lever which rests against the other section, A, presses against said section and throws it open at the same time. A simple mechanism is thus provided for opening the solid shutters of a burning building by the force of a stream of water from the hose of the firemen, although any other force applied to the outside lever will effect the same result.

Having thus d eserihed in y invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An improved. sl1uttci;'-fastener consisting of a lever pivoted to the inside of the shutter and provided with the hook-shaped bar, a vertically-arranged bar attached to the lever and having its lower end seated in a socket in the window-frame, a second vertically-arranged bar loosely seated upon the opposite end of the lever and having its upper end adapted for engagement with a socket in the upper portion of the window-frame, a bar, 9, pass ing transversely across said frame and engaged by the hook-shaped bar, and a lever, D, mounted 011 the pivot of the lever O and the spring E, said lever D having a flange, 71', and a pin, 1, which projects through a curved slot in the shutter and rests under one end of the lever (7-, as herein descriliied.

MIO'I at El) FIIZPATRICK.

Witnesses:

FnANcIs VALLn, Innnv L. PRANE. 

